This invention relates to reconstituted wood veneer covered structural elements, such as vertical or horizontal blind slats or louvers, wherein the veneer does not materially alter the durability or properties of the substrates while providing them with a permanent decorative wood coating. More particularly, this invention relates to substrates covered with a fiber backed reconstituted wood veneer wherein the fiber backed reconstituted wood, although securely bonded to the substrate, does not materially affect the structural properties of the substrate.
It is well known in the art to apply thin veneers of wood, plastic, metal, foil, canvas, cork, paper, etc. to structural substrates for decorative purposes. Sometimes the substrate is relatively thick and is made of various types of fibrous cellulosic materials. For example, plywood, particle board, solid wood and the like have been covered with veneers for use as wall panels. It is also known to use veneers over rigid non-cellulosic building materials such as sheet rock, metal, thick foamed plastics and the like.
It would be desirable to have durable decorative structural elements, including but not limited to, furniture, wall panels, door and window frames, base boards, picture frames and other moldings, venetian type blind slat or louver elements or other articles having the genuine appearance of wood but which do not have the inherent drawbacks often associated with wood veneers.
Wood veneers, although thin, posses a cellular structure which affects the properties of the laminate products. The cellular structure of the veneer, if stressed or broken, ruins the appearance of the decorative covering. Although wood veneers can be bonded to flat panels any attempt to form elements of irregular shape may result in delamination, cracking or breaking of the veneer and the like. Moreover, wood veneers with intact cellular structure become brittle, break and crack as they wear and dry out.
One means of producing suitable wood veneer products is disclosed by Prince, U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,590, issued Apr. 4, 1989 who teaches thin foamed plastic substrates covered with an even thinner wood veneer. While the veneers disclosed in this application present a significant advance over the art, they are not presently sufficiently cost effective to be competitive with commercially available non-wood veneer products.
Prior art methods of manufacturing wood veneers, particularly over metal substrates have serious limitations when it comes to continuous manufacturing methods.